A book blog from the staff at AbeBooks.co.uk

Rare copy of first Beano annual sells for £3,000

A very rare copy of the first Beano annual has sold for £3,000 on AbeBooks.co.uk. Published for the 1939 Christmas market, The Beano Book was published by DC Thomson and is somewhat of a landmark in children’s publishing. This particular copy is unrestored with no pages missing or scribbles or colouring. Very few copies are believed to exist.

The first copy of The Beano comic was published in 1938 (a year after The Dandy debuted).

You can see Lord Snooty on the yellow cover, playing on the swing, and other characters appearing in this first issue include Big Eggo the Ostrich, Pansy Potter, the Strongman’s Daughter, and Ping the Elastic Man. No Dennis the Menace yet.